YR Grossman Case HW
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI

Our theory is going to sound crazy, but hear it out.

Although The Young and the Restless‘ Sharon might deny it, she’s drawn to Adam like the proverbial moth to a flame. She tells both herself — and husband-to-be Rey — that it’s only because she sees in Adam a hurting soul in desperate need of help only she can provide, and heck, she might even believe it.

But the inconvenient truth is that despite everything, she still has feelings for her ex.

So what, exactly, would it take to permanently extinguish whatever it is that still burns between them? Knowing that Adam not only stole a newborn Faith but let Sharon grieve that supposed loss for months wasn’t enough to snuff out those lingering feelings. Even after that ugly piece of their shared past was brought to light by Billy’s article, throwing poor Faith’s world into a tailspin, Sharon still couldn’t help but run to Adam’s side as he was being forcefully committed.

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On the plus side, Sharon teaming with Victor would seem to indicate that she has at last recognized that Adam needs more help than she can provide. But what if he emerges from the hospital claiming to be — or even actually — exorcized of the demons which have haunted him for decades? Might she eschew the love of a good, honest man like Rey in favor of giving Adam another chance?

Truth be told, given Sharon’s history, that’s a distinct possibility. Unless

This is where we put forth a theory that’s going to leave you suggesting we be given the room next to Adam’s at that fancy treatment facility. Because if there’s one thing that could force Sharon to keep her distance from Adam, it might be finding out that Faith was the triggerman… er, girl.

Alyvia Alyn Lind, Sharon Case young restless faith hw

“Impossible!” you cry out in horror, and you’re probably right. But indulge us a moment.

For weeks now, Faith has been acting out in various ways, including getting tipsy with her new friend Jordan, who has proven to be a very bad influence on Sharon’s daughter. We’ve also seen Faith lash out in anger upon finding her mom with Adam, showing a frightening side we never knew existed within the soft-spoken girl. Could she have perhaps gotten drunk and, without even fully realizing what she was doing, taken a shot at the man who has caused so much pain for her family?

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“But how would she have gotten her hands on the gun, which came from Victoria’s house?” you ask.

Good question… to which we respond, “Were you never a teenager?” What if Faith, in an effort to impress Jordan, suggested that she knew exactly where they could find a little booze: her Aunt Victoria’s house! Perhaps they snuck in and, while siphoning off some gin or vodka (and, of course, replacing it with water so as to prevent anyone from noticing), poked around to see what else they could find.

Which leads us to another theory regarding the shooting which, now that we think about it, might make even more sense. What if it was Jordan who found the gun in Victoria’s house, stole it and provided it to someone else so that they could eliminate Adam? We don’t know an awful lot about Jordan, so it’s easy to imagine she might have connections which have yet to be revealed. Who’s to say she’s not the younger sister of Alyssa Montalvo. Together, they might have concocted a plot to not only shoot Adam but frame Billy, with Faith playing the part of unwitting accomplice.

More: Another theory about Adam’s shooting

Were Billy’s attempts to clear his name to suddenly have suspicious eyes turning in Faith’s direction, would the actual guilty party (or parties) step forward… or consider the youngster collateral damage?

What do you think about our latest attempt to solve Adam’s shooting? Are we completely off the mark, or might we have stumbled upon the most insane answer to the question “Whodunit?” since The Simpsons revealed that baby Maggie shot Mr. Burns? Put on your detective cap and tell us your theories in the comments. But first, stop off at the photo gallery below to celebrate Young & Restless’ 12,000th episode with rare images and precious memories from the CBS soap’s first 11,999 shows.